Bed motion for cylinder printing machines



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L. U. CROWELL. BED MOTION FOR CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES Patented July 5, 1892.

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L. C. GROWELL. FOR CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES.

"Patented July 5, 1892.

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L 0. OROWELL. BED MOTION FOR CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES.

No. 478,091. Patented Ju1y5, '1892.

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-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER O. CROYVELL, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT HOE, STEPHEN D. TUCKER, THEODORE H. MEAD, AND CHARLES XV. CARPENTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BED-MOTION FOR CYLINDER PRINTING-MACHINES.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,091, dated J u1y'5, 1892.

Application filed March 30. 1892. Serial No. 427,023. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER O. CROWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York,

5 have invented certain new and .useful Improvemen ts in Bed-Motions for CylinderPrinting-Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the same.

The improvements constituting this invention relate to the bed-motions for cylinder printing-machines, and more particularly to the means whereby the principal portion of the reciprocatory movement of the type-bed is effected and its reversal at each end of its run is accomplished.

The invention consists in a rack-and-pinion mechanism so constructed and operating as to remain constantly in gear, and yet have the drivingaction of the pinion maintained to cause the principal portion of the movement of the bed, and suspended at the time when the movement of the bed is being retarded in one direction and stopped and started and ac- 2 5 celerated in the opposite direction or during the operation of reversing, which is performed at each end of its movements of reciprocation, and said invention includes the combination, with such a rack-and-pinion mechanism, of

means for performing said reversing operation. These improvements Will preferably be combined with crank-operated controllingarms as constituting the reversing mechanism, although other constructions of revers- 3 5 ing mechanism may beemployed, as will appear in the following description of the manner in which the invention is or may be car' ried into effect, which description will now be given, aided by reference to the accom- 4o panying'drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a printing-machine equippedwith theimprovenients; Fig. 2,'an end view thereof, partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken just below the bed.

, To aid a ready understanding of this invention the machine to which it is shown as applied will first be generally described, and then the application of the improvements to it will be explained.

The invention is especially applicable to printing-machines of that class which have reciprocating type-beds co-operating with a cylinder or cylinders in making the impression, and which are required to pass in one 5 5 direction under the cylinder during the printing operation and to return under the cylinder in the opposite direction in order to 'repeat that operation, the cylinder having a low part, being cut away or raised, so as to avoid contact with the form on the bed during this non-printing run. In the construction shown the impression-cylinder is revolved in suitablejournals supported by the frame-Work by means of a wheel 17, which is driven through 6 intermediates 16 15 from a wheel 14, that is on the shaft 12, while a train of wheels 18, 19, 20, and 22 communicate motion to the shaft 13 for appropriately moving other parts of the machine. p

The bed-driving pinions 10 and 11,of equal size, are both geared with a single rack 21, that is fixed to the under surface of the type-bed B, which rack is of such length that the pinions 10 11 will remain in gear with it through out the whole movement of the bed in either direction. The pinions 1O 11 are not geared together, but are respectively mounted to turn' freely upon shafts 5 6. These shafts are 7 caused to constantly revolve in opposite directions (see arrows, Fig. 1) by means of wheels 23 24, that are geared together, one, 24, being fast on shaft 6, which is driven by means of a pinion 40 from the main drivingpinion 9 on the shaft 12. This main driving pinion 9 is of such size as to make three turns to each reciprocation of the type-bed B, that number having been found advantageous in practice; but this number may be varied without affecting the operation of the present improvements and the bed B runs on slides S upon ways W, supported upon pedestals from the frame or in any usual manner.

The shafts 5 6 are each provided with the moving member of a clutch, as 1 3, while the 5 co-operating members, as 2 4., of each clutch are secured, respectively, to the pinions 10 11. These moving members 1 3 of the clutches slide upon splines or in recesses with which their carrying-shafts are provided, so that while they are constantly rotated by the shafts 5 6 they may slide thereon into and out of engagement with their co-operating members 2 4, respectively carried by the pinions 1O 11. For this purpose the clutch members 1 3 are provided with hubsor collars, into which extend the opposite ends of an oscillatingyoke 8, that is carried at the end of ashaft 4l,suitably rocked by means of an arm 25, whose stud or bowl runs in the groove of a cam 26 on shaft 13. It should now be understood that both of the pinions 10 11 will at times be driven by the rack 21 and at all times must turn in the direction in which the rack is moving and that when either of them is coupled to its drivingshaft by means of the clutch mechanism it will take the direction of motion of that shaft and drive the bed accordingly. The companion pinion then being unclutched and free to move upon its shaft will be driven by the rack and of course turn in the same direction as the pinion then active as the driver. As the bed is driven by one or the other pinion only during the major part of its run in either direction and at each endof its reciprocatory movement is controlled or driven by the reversing mechanism, the cam 26 is so shaped that it will cause both .pinions 1O 11 to be unclutched from their driving-shafts during this reversing operation, and hence though they will then be inactive as drivers they will still be driven by the rack.

The reversing mechanism may be any that is capable of slowing down and stopping the bed in one direction and then starting and moving it in a contrary direction; but crankoperated controlling-arms, such as are described in my application, Serial No. 421,914, filed February 18, 1892, are preferred as the means accomplishing this end.

The action of the pinion mechanism and coaction therewith of the controlling-arm form of mechanism will be readily understood from the following description of their conjoint operation:

In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 1 the type-bed is supposed to be in a state of momentary rest in the position of its limit of movement in one direction, it being coupled to the controlling-arm 30, which is entered into its socketed or recessed lug 29, that is or may be provided with the friction-rolls to enable its ready entrance. At this time the clutch members 1 3 are both held out of engagement with their coacting members 2 4, attached to the pinions 1O 11, and hence said pinions are free to be rotated by the rack 21 when it moves. As this controlling-arm 30 and its companion 28 are rocked by means of the crank 27, acting through the connecting rods 33 34, and said crank is revolved by the shaft 12,which carries the main pinion 9, that actuates the bed-driving pinions 1O 11, it follows that the said arms will have timely cooperation with the said pinions. As the bed is now to be moved in the direction of the arthe rack 21.

row in Fig. 1 by means of the pinion?) and crank 27, which are turning in the dlrection oftheir indicating-arrow in Fig. 1, it follows that while the crank is making a quarter-turn from its position in that figure to an upward vertical position the controlling-arm 3 0 will make an inward sweep to a position similar to that in which its companion arm 28 18 shown, during which movement it will have started the bed and moved it with an accelerating speed which attains the surface speed of the driving-pinion 9 as the crank reaches its last-stated position, and as the crank approaches and is passing its highest point the arm 30 will be withdrawn from engagement with the bed and simultaneously the cam 26 will, through the yoke 8, move the clutch mem- H her 1 into engagement with the clutch member 2 on the pinion 10, whereupon the latter Wlll become active as the driver and move the rack 21, and consequently drive the type-bed at the surface speed of the driving-pinion 9. The pinion 10 will then continue to drivethe bed during the major part of its travel or printing run, during which the crank 27 will make a complete turn, during which the pinion 11 will be driven idly by the rack, and the arms 28 30 will have made two idle oscillations. hen, however, the arm 28 is making the first half of its third oscillation, the crank 27 will, in approaching and passing its lowest point, cause the said arm to enter the socket in the bed'while traveling at an equal surface speed therewith and thereafter to control the movement of the bed, the clutch member 1 being simultaneously uncoupled from the pinion 10, so that it may be driven idly by When the arm 28 is making its third oscillation while engaged with the bed, it causes the bed to be slowed down and brought to a state of rest, while the crank 2'7 is making a quarter-turn from its low point, and then restarting the bed moves it with an accelerating speed while the crank is making its next quarter-turn. As the crank approaches and passes its high point the arm 28 will be moved out of engagement with the bed, and the pinion 11 willsimultaneously be brought into action as the driver of the bed by a timely movement of the clutch member 3 into engagement with the clutch member 4, secured to said pinion. This pinion will then drive the bed during the major part of its return movement or while the crank 27 is making a complete revolution and the arms 28 30 make two idle oscillations. When, however, the sixth oscillation (tantamount to its first) of the arm 30 is made, which is when the crank is passing from its high point to its low point, it first engages the bed while traveling at like surface speed with it, at which time the clutch member 3 is withdrawn from the member 4, so that the pinion 11 becomes inactive as a driver, but is driven by the rack, and as this crank moves from its high point to its quarter point it causes the arm 30 to engage the bed, slow down its movement, and

bring it toa state of rest, as in Fig. 1, which is the position from which the movements of these parts has been explained; but a more particular description of such movements in connection with diagrammatic illustrations of many positions of the movements of similar parts is contained in my applications, Serial.

No. 421,914, filed February 18, 1892, and Serial No.422,835, filed February 26, 1892.

While the positive bed-controlling device described here or in my said applications is desirable as a reversing mechanism, the said rack-and-pinion mechanism may be used in combination with a revolving cam take-up device such as is illustratedin my application, Serial No. 427,554, filed April 2, 1892.

These improvements may be applied to other machines having a reciprocating member that requires the peculiar movement imparted by the mechanisms embraced herein.

What is claimed is 1. The combination, with the type-bed, its single driving-rack, and two driving-pinions constantly geared therewith and mounted loosely upon shafts driven in opposite directions, of clutches for alternately coupling said pinions to the shafts, substantially as described.

-2. The combination, with the type-bed, its single driving-rack, two driving-pinions c011- stantly geared therewith and turning freely upon shafts driven in opposite directions, and

- clutches alternately coupling said pinions to the shaft for driving the bed during the major part of its run in both directions, of a reversing mechanism moving in harmony with said pinions and operating to slow down and stop the bed in one direction and start and accelerate it in a contrary direction at each end of its run, substantially as described.

,coupling said pinions to their actuating-shafts and uncoupling'them therefrom to produce the major portion of the reciprocation of the bed, and a reversing mechanism. consisting of a crank revolved in harmony with the driving-shaft of said pinions and alternately connected and disconnected from the bed to control the end or reversing movements of the bed, substantially as described.

4:. The combination, with the type-bed, its single driving-rack, two freely-moving pinions, their actuating-shafts turning in opposite directions,.and clutches for coupling said pinions to their shafts, of crank-actuated controlling-arms alternately engaged with and disengaged from said bed, whereby the movement of the bed in each direction is begun by one of the controlling-arms, is continued throughout its major part by one of the pinions, and is completed to a state of rest by the other of the controlling-arms, substantially asdescribed.

, 5. The combination, with the bed and its single drivi n g-rack, of the freely-mounted pinions, their actuating-shafts driven in contrary directions from the crankshaft, clutches for connecting said pinions with their driving-shafts, rocking arms 28 30, connectedwith the crank 27, and a socket for said arms in the bed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUTHER O. OROWELL. Witnesses:

THos. F. KEHoE,

H. T. MUNSON. 

